Universal joint



April I, 1931. c. w. wils UNIVERSAL JOINT Filed Nov. 14, 1928 Patented Apr. 7, 1931 cm w. WEISS, or 'NEwYonK, N. Y.

UNIVERSAL JOINT Application filed November 14,- 1928' Serial No. 319,840.

In some uses of universal joints, as in their application to the ends of a propeller shaft by which motion is transmitted from the transmission shaft of a motor to the difl'erential gearing, in an automobile, there is, by reason'of the relative change of position of the two ends of the propeller shaft and a consequent change of distance between the transmission shaft and the differential, some endwise movement of the propeller shaft with respect to the transmission shaft and the differential. Such endwise movement. is accommodated by such construction of the members of the universal joints, at eachend of the propeller shaft, as will permit the endwise movement. As a result of such endwise movement there is frequent change of volume within the oil tight housing or booth intended to prevent the dripping of lubricant from the joint and a consequent pumping action which tends to force the lubricant from the housing or boot, which is secured about the universal joint and about the propeller shaft, with consequent dripping and ultimate loss of the lubricant necessary to the proper operation of the joint. I

The object of thisinvention is to overcome this known difliculty and in accordance with the invention the transmission shaft with which the propeller shaft or the likeis coupled by the universal joint is formed with a.

conduit which establishes communication between the space within the housing of the universal joint and the boot, which is charged with lubricant, and the space within the housing about such transmission shaft so that the meant, when the volume of the space within the housing about the joint and within the.

0 boot is reduced by the relative longitudinal toward the cooperating shaft, the lubricant which is so displaced shall find its way into or toward the larger space within the housing about the transmission shaft and in the continued operation of the joint shall move to and fro under the influence of the pumpin action and shall not be forced out at the en or ends of the flexible boot.

The invention will be more fully explained hereinafter with reference to the accompanymovement of the propeller shaft or its like ing drawing the single figure of which illustrates in longitudinal, sectional elevation so much of a propeller shaft and its cooperating, shaft, with their accessories, as is necessary to enablethe invention to be understood.

In the structure which has been chosen for illustration of an embodiment of the invention there is shown at a a portion of a transmission shaft which is supported by a suitable bearingat 1) within a housing 0 which has secured to it a supplemental housing (1. There is shown as keyed upon the shaft a a sleeve e which carries one member 7 of the universal joint, which may be of any approved construction, together with a usual housing 9. The other member 7 of the universal .joint is shown as formed upon or secured to one end of a' shaft h which, in the construction shown, may be taken as a propeller shaft of an automobile and is imperforate, at least as to the portion which carries the joint-member. Secured to the universal joint housing 9 and the shaft, in the construction shown, is an oil tight flexible housing or boot '2' which may be tightly secured as by wires at i and i to the universal joint housing and the casingof the pro-- peller shaft.-

In the operation of the structure thus far described it is obvious that in the relative dis.- placement of the two ends of the propeller shaft, due to chassis spring movement, there must be movement of the propeller shaft toward and from the transmission shaft, whether at the one end or the other, with consequent change of volume ofthe space within the-boot and a tendency to displace the lubricant within the 'boot, and force it out from .the boot at the ends thereof when the volume of that space is reduced. Such lubricant as might be thus forced out would be lost with a consequent reduction of the quantity of lubricant within the boot. By the present invention the lubricant which otherwise would be displaced and lost is forced into an unobstructed passage or oil hole a which may be drilled into the shaft a longitudinally from its end, terminating within the housing of the transmission shaft, where the volume of air is such as to ermit the reception or movement of :the lubricant without material increase of pressure when the space within the boot '5 is reduced. In the construction shown the oil 5 hole or conduit a communicates at its extreme end with a hole a which terminates .within the main housing a, while, at a is shown an oil hole or conduit which communicates with an internally grooved, loose collar is which surrounds the shaft and has an opening k which communicates with the space within the supplemental housing 0!.

By this construction there is afiorded opportunity for. the to and fro movement of. the lubricant as the volume of the space within the boot i is changed, the lubricant passing from such space as itis reduced in volume, without being forced outat either end of the boot, and returnin to such, space as its volmm is increased. ripping and loss of the lubricant are thus avoided. It will be understood-that changes in details of construction will be made to suit a different conditions of use.

I claim as my invention:

The combination of anniversal joint an imperforate propeller'shaft secured to one of p the joint members, a transmission shaft sea cured to the other of the 'oint members and 3 having therein a longitu inal, unobstructed passage, a housing about the transmission:- shaft, an oil tight housing about the universal joint, one of. said shafts havingcapacity for relatively longitudinal movement, and the I passage in the transmission shaft communivcating at oneend with the space within the housing of the transmission shaft and at the other end, with the space within the housing about the universal joint, whereby lubricant 40 may have a to-and-fro movement through said unobstructed assage to and from the spaces within'the "ousings and is not permitted to accumulate in one of such spaces. This specification signed this 12th dayof a November, A. D. 1928. CARL'W.'WEISS. 

